Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/162403
Title: Toward a critical technical practice in disaster risk management: lessons from designing collaboration initiatives
Authors: Lallemant, David
Bicksler, Rebecca
Barns, Karen
Hamel, Perrine
Soden, Robert
Bannister, Steph
Keywords: Science::General::Moral and ethical aspects
Social sciences::Geography::Natural disasters
Engineering::Environmental engineering
Issue Date: 2022
Source: Lallemant, D., Bicksler, R., Barns, K., Hamel, P., Soden, R. & Bannister, S. (2022). Toward a critical technical practice in disaster risk management: lessons from designing collaboration initiatives. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/DPM-08-2022-0160
Project: NRF-NRFF2018-06 
Journal: Disaster Prevention and Management 
Abstract: Despite decades of social science research into disasters, practice in the field continues to be informed largely from a technical perspective. The outcome is often a perpetuation of vulnerability, as narrowly defined technical interventions fail to address or recognize the ethical, historical, political and structural complexities of real-world community vulnerability and its causes. The authors propose that addressing this does not require a rejection of technical practice, but its evolution into a critical technical practice – one which foregrounds interdisciplinarity, inclusion, creativity and reflexivity, as means to question the assumptions, ideologies and delimited solutions built into the technical tools for understanding risks. Design/methodology/approach: The authors present findings from three events they designed and facilitated, aimed at rethinking the engineering pedagogy and technical practice of disaster risk management. The first was a 2-day “artathon” that brought together engineers, artists and scientists to collaborate on new works of art based on disaster and climate data. The second was the Understanding Risk Field Lab, a 1-month long arts and technology un-conference exploring critical design practices, collaborative technology production, hacking and art to address complex issues of urban flooding. The third was a 4-month long virtual workshop on responsible engineering, science and technology for disaster risk management. Findings: Each of these events uncovered and highlighted the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration and reflexivity in disaster risk modeling, communication and management. The authors conclude with a discussion of the key design elements that help promote the principles of a critical technical practice. Originality/value: The authors propose “critical technical practice” which foregrounds principles of interdisciplinarity, inclusion, creativity and reflexivity, as a means to question the assumptions, ideologies and delimited solutions built into the technical tools for understanding climate and disaster risk.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/162403
ISSN: 0965-3562
DOI: 10.1108/DPM-08-2022-0160
Schools: Asian School of the Environment 
Research Centres: Earth Observatory of Singapore 
Rights: © 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. This paper was published in Disaster Prevention and Management and is made available with permission of Emerald Publishing Limited.
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:ASE Journal Articles
EOS Journal Articles

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